A Handmade Valentines
Happy Valentine’s Day! We have created a few ideas that can be used as gifts, party favors, decorations, and Valentine’s Day cards to be handed out! Each craft is kid friendly and their participation is key!1. Hand and Thumbprint flower painting: Hand prints capture sweet memories of your kids! You can paint a bouquet of “hand flowers” on a large canvas or paper, ceramic plates or bowls, or wood items like jewelry boxes, bird houses, etc. This is an easy craft that is the perfect gift for that special someone!
Supplies:
1. Large canvas, paper, ceramic, wood etc.
2. Acrylic paint
3. Sponge paint brush
4. Paper plate
5. Glitter, jewels, etc.
6. Helpful hands!
Steps:
1. Chose your paint colors, and put paint onto a paper plate.
2. Apply paint onto your child’s hand or thumb with a brush, or by dipping it into the paint.
3. Press their hand onto your item of choice. (Large canvas, paper, ceramic piece, or wood, etc.)
4. Decorate the hand prints with little thumb prints for petals or leaves.
5. Add special details with glitter, etc.
6. If you use a ceramic piece or wood piece, you may want to add a sealant to protect your paint from chipping.
7. Make sure to put their signatures, ages, and the year!
2. Mustache bouquet: Mustaches are the new rave! A mustache bouquet is a great way to add a Valentine’s Day decoration to your table, plus they make a funny party favor!
Supplies:
1. Furry Mustaches with adhesive (found at your local party store)
2. Black or brown felt
3. Bendy straws or tooth picks
4. Glue gun
5. A vase or a jar
6. Candy to fill the jar
Steps:
1. Use the pre-made mustaches or trace and cut out your own mustaches out of black or brown felt.
2. Attach the mustache onto the bended part of the bendy straw or at the end of the tooth pick. I found that hot glue was the most secure way to attach them. I also added a small piece of paper to the back of the felt mustaches to make sure that they do not “droop” or “flop”.
3. Stick the mustache straws or picks into a jar or vase filled with candy. I added some cute heart picks that I found at the Dollar Store, and I added some googly eyes to make them extra silly!
3. Jar of Hearts: Create a “jar full of hearts” and fill it with special notes about your special Valentines! From Feb. 1 through Feb. 14 fill the jar full of hearts that have hand written notes about why you love your sweetie(s). Then read the heart notes together on Valentine’s Day!
Supplies:
1. Empty coffee can or formula jar
2. Craft paper (printed and solid)
3. Glue
4. Accessories: stickers, ribbon, jewels, sequins, glitter, etc.
Steps:
1. Wrap your jar with craft paper and glue it into place.
2. Let the glue dry and then apply decorations. (stickers, ribbon, jewels, sequins, glitter, etc.)
3. Cut a slot in the lid so that heart notes can be deposited.
4. Decorate the lid, but make sure to leave the slot open.
5. Cut out a bunch of blank hearts and set them aside in a baggie or small basket. Keep them accessible, so that the whole family can write special notes on them and deposit them into the jar of hearts!
4. Paper Heart Chain: If you are looking for a simple but sweet decoration, a paper heart chain will add that special touch! With materials around the house, you can create this heart chain in a flash!
Supplies:
1. Paper: Craft, newspaper, white, etc.
2. Pen
3. Stapler
Steps:
1. Trim strips of paper to be about ½ inch wide. You can use any type of paper! Solid, printed, white, newspaper, etc!
2. On each strip of paper, write special notes! You can write a poem or notes about your special Valentine(s).
3. Fold each strip in half with the notes on the outside.
4. Take the open end of your paper strip and “roll” the tops to form the top of the heart.
5. Make your first heart and staple the end of the “roll”/top of the heart.
6. Link the next heart to the first heart, and then staple the “roll”/top of the heart. (I found it easiest to hang the chain as I started to link the hearts. Then you can see how they lay and so that they will keep their heart shape.)
7. Continue to make the heart chain to the length that you desire.
5. Valentines: Jazz up your Valentines with a custom picture! These picture Valentines look like your kiddo is personally “handing” out the candy! You can design your Valentine on an art program, make a scrap booking card, or use a custom design site like: www.mpix.com, www.walgreens.com, www.costco.com, etc. to make a photo card.
Supplies:
1. Camera
2. Cute smiling faces!
3. Art program like Photoshop, a Card Maker, or CorelDraw
4. OR Scrap booking supplies: craft paper
5. Candy
Steps:
1. Take pictures of your kiddos with their arm out as if they are holding out a piece of candy.
2. If you want the text printed with the picture, upload your pictures to your art program or photo website to make a picture card.
3. Add your text to match the kind of candy you want to give. (example: we used the text: “You Rock” and we are giving Pop Rocks as our candy. You can choose from a variety of ideas and funny puns to go along with any candy.)
4. Print your picture or card at your photo printer of choice.
5. If you are going to make a card with “scrap booking” techniques, add paper and stickers to your picture along with the text printed or hand written along with the card!
6. Last, attach the candy in your kiddos hand. You can use tape or if you are giving a sucker, you can use a small knife and make 2 slits so that the sucker stays in place.
Making crafts with your kids is meant to be fun and creative! I hope that you enjoy creating memories with your special Valentines!